April Holiday
by StardustRudie
Summary: There were a lot of things Yoite had never thought he would do in his short life. But he never in a million years expected to be celebrating Christmas in April.


**TITLE**: April Holiday  
**AUTHOR**: Stardustrudie  
**RECIPIENT**: Reamii  
**GENRE**: Family/Fluff/General  
**RATINGS/WARNINGS**: G. Unbetaed. A bit of Yoite/Miharu at the end, if you squint, though it can be interpreted as brotherly love. Characters might be really OOC.  
**SUMMARY**: There were a lot of things Yoite had never thought he would do in his short life. But he never in a million years expected to be celebrating Christmas in April.

Author's Notes: This is a gift fic written for the Nabari Community Secret Santa for Reamii. Happy late Christmas and New Years Reamii! So I heard you like Yoite so here's a Yoite Christmas fic for you! Oh and sorry for the lateness of it and its uber suckage, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless!

Kinda inspired by the 111 Nabari no Ou themes, prompt 59: "Christmas; let's spend it together!" Fic takes place at the during the anime's ending, a bit before the epilogue, though no major spoilers I think.

Oh and I don't own Nabari no Ou. This is a good thing.

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Something was up in the Kumohira/Seki household. This much Yoite knew.

The crinkle of paper, the sound of scissors, the glances and the mutterings Miharu and Hanabusa-san would have when they thought he wasn't looking. At first it slightly puzzled Yoite. He would spend ten minutes trying to eavesdrop the conversation between Kumohira-san and Gao through the kitchen door while pretending to be refilling his glass of lemonade. He would then ask about it and all he received were a combination of smiles and "you'll sees".

In the end, he would give up and decided that Miharu would eventually tell him about it when the time was right. He would then push those thoughts to the back of his mind and he would go back to knitting his scarf.

Little that he knew the next day he would find the reason why for all of this secrecy.

That morning he had gotten out of his comfortable bed and went about his usual daily morning routines. Yoite was stifling a yawn as he shuffled past the living room to the bathroom. Then he doubled back to do a retake.

The room had overnight seemed to have exploded with colorful decorations, stockings over the fireplace, chubby Santas on the shelves and on the television, a bare tree in the corner with boxes and boxes places next to it, and a colorful sign bearing the words _Merry Christmas _in large red and gold lettering over the paper snowflake pattered window.

This had surprised Yoite so much that he had rushed as fast as his weak legs could carry him to kitchen in search of Miharu, Hanabusa-san, Gao, or Kumohira-san. Here he was greeted by the smiling couple both cooking and dressed up in matching red and green holiday sweaters (most likely knitted by Hanabusa herself). He glanced at the calendar over on the right wall, expecting to see it turned to month of December. What he saw instead was it on the April page, like it has been for the last six days.

He must have hit his head during the night. Or maybe the side-effects of Kira were already affecting his poor mind as well as his hearing and other senses. There isn't any other logical explanation he decided.

Hanabusa, after seeing Yoite's confused and bewildered face had taken pity on the ex-Kira user and explained everything.

"Well Yoite-kun, a couple of days ago, I remembered that we didn't celebrate Christmas last year because you were in the hospital and I had commented this to Miharu and we both thought we all should remedy this and take the opportunity to celebrate it with everyone today."

"Hanabusa-san, you do realize its April right? Not December? That's when Christmas is. At least, that's when people usually celebrate it."

"Yes, I know that, but with everything that had been going on these past couple of months, it had just slipped my mind. And I had planned a lot of things too! Besides Yoite-kun haven't you heard the phrase, "No better time to do something than the present?"".

"Well… yes I have. But…"

"And," she continued as if he hadn't responded "the main purpose of Christmas is to celebrate with your loved ones and we care for you and you care for us right?"

"Yes?"

"Then it shouldn't matter _when_ we celebrate it but _who_ we celebrate it with! With the people you care about. That is the true meaning of Christmas."

He never thought of it that way.

"Yes, you're right."

"Of course she is. She always is." Kumohira-san had interjected earning him a playful swat on his arm.

She did not mention that they are celebrating this right now was because they couldn't afford to wait until Christmas. Yoite might not live till then and he was grateful for it.

"Now run along and get dressed, Miharu should be back with Gao soon. They had gone to the store to get some ingredients that Thobari was missing for his famous Christmas pudding recipe." She said cheerfully. We also invited Yukimi-san, his sister, Koichi and Raimei and Shinjima later for Christmas dinner. You'll experience first hand how we celebrate Christmas at this house.

Yoite had left the kitchen and was pleasantly surprised to see after he had returned from his shower a sweater just like Hanabusa-san and Kumohira-san placed over his made bed. He smiled the whole time he put it on.

And so began Yoite's first Christmas celebration.

While Thobari and Gao cooked in the kitchen (and singing Christmas carols wildly out of tune), Yoite helped Hanabusa and Miharu decorate the tree. In the end there was so much tinsel, colorful paper chains and ornaments that the tree's plastic branches sagged with the weight. He had also helped Thobari set the nativity scene while explaining the meaning behind it.

In the afternoon, Yoite had sat in the decorated living room admiring once again the decorations; Miharu was fiddling with something in his hands.

"Miharu?"

"Yes Yoite?" Miharu had turned to look at Yoite. That something in his hands had turned out to be a clump of white berries and leaves and he was currently adjusting it over the sliding door, tell tale devil wings fluttered on his back. Everyone was due to arrive in mere moments.

What _is_ that?

"Mistletoe."

"Is that one of Thobari-san's home customs?"

"You could say that." The wings fluttered happily.

"What is it for?"

"Entertainment." Miharu said cryptically. "Just make sure you don't stand directly below it ok Yoite?"

Before Yoite could ask what sort of entertainment that innocent looking plant could bring, Thobari came in announcing Yukimi's arrival for dinner and asked if he and Miharu would set the table.

Yukimi had come with Amatatsu-san trailing behind him; both had donned extra long green scarves with Santa hats. Raimei, Kouichi and Shijima had arrived not long after. Shijima looked angry with the bow with jingling bells that seemed to have been forced on her head, though Yoite had noticed her secretly playing with it from time to time.

This was when Yoite had found out the real "entertainment" use of the mistletoe, and it was amusing to watch Hanabusa explain to a red faced Kouichi and Raimei the traditions surrounding it when they had walked through the sliding door together. It didn't help that Gao had teased them saying that Raiko had approved of Kouichi and that this was a good start in rebuilding the Shimizu clan, which made Raimei splutter and Kouichi turn redder. Yoite couldn't help but chuckle with the rest when they actually went though it.

Christmas dinner was a loud affair as it usually is when Yukimi and Thobari are in the same room together for a long period of time. Various dishes, both Japanese and Irish, were on the table, side by side. The Christmas cake sat next to a brown, round dome shaped one decorated with holly which Kumohira-san had told him was his famous Christmas pudding. Oh and we can't forget the lemonade, for Yoite, no meal was complete without his favorite drink.

Thobari was telling everyone about what he usually did at Christmas when he was a boy growing up in Ireland. He told them all about how his grandfather would take him to pick out the tree and then they would later go to the cemetery to leave holly and ivy wreaths for his grandmother, they would then drag the tree back home where they would decorate it singing carols. Yoite could almost see the young Thobari doing all those things and he almost smiled at the thought. Gao and Amatatsu-san would say it was a lovely tradition while Yukimi gave muffled comments with his mouth full of potato. Shijima wrinkled her nose in disgust. Both Raimei and Kouichi would steal glances at each other and turn away, blushing furiously. The mistletoe kiss obviously still on their minds.

Yoite just listened and watched and took the whole scene in to replay it all in his mind's eye and keep it within his heart, to remember it all when he would depart from this world, while eating triple portions of everything downing it all in his large mug of hot lemonade.

Then came the time for presents.

Everyone had previously put his or her's name in a hat and had drawn out of it. Yoite had been apprehensive, since he had no present to offer until Miharu had assured him that Yoite did pick out his present he had to give. He recognized the brightly wrapped gift in Miharu's hands as he handed it to Yoite so he could give it to Hanabusa.

'_So that's why two days ago Miharu had dragged me to the shopping center and had asked my opinion on those earrings and bracelets! I should have known. Sneaky sneaky Miharu.' _

Gao had given him a hat that he had knitted himself. The yarn was unraveling in some places, but you could obviously tell how hard Gao had worked to make it.

Yukimi and Thobari had each given each other a bottle of sake. Then to the amusement of the others they had both challenged the other to drink its contents at the same time.

With the all the presents opened, the party had winded down and now everyone was going their separate ways. Yukimi might have stayed the night had he not been dragged away by Amatatsu-san, drunkenly singing and waving enthusiastically at Thobari saying they should do this again some time. Hanabusa giggled when Thobari had drunkenly responded/yelled, half draped over Hanabusa's shoulder, "Anytime! Oh and remember! A glass of Guinness! No sake! And don't forget the carrots! Or else Santa won't leave you presents tonight! And who will be laughing then! Yeah!" Amatatsu-san had resisted the urge to burst out laughing and pushed her brother into the car before he could answer.

Yoite could have sworn Kouichi and Raimei left hand in hand.

Gao had bid Yoite goodnight and had departed to his room, cradling his new boken in his arms.

Miharu was staying the night and after he teased Kumohira-san and Hanabusa-san for purposely straying under the mistletoe one more time, changed into his pajamas and settled in Yoite's room in a futon placed next to his bed. Shijima, in her cat form, was already curled up at his feet asleep. Yoite himself had just returned from the bathroom and slipped under the covers. There was a comfortable silence until Miharu decided to break it by whispering:

"Did you like it?"

"I…"

'_How do I even begin to say how much this meant to me, how happy you have made me today?, how I wish I could live today over and over again, I want to cherish this day forever, keep it with me bottled up safe and warm so I can remind myself that everything wasn't a dream at all. Thank you, thank you Miharu, Hanabusa-san, Kumohira-san, Gao, everyone, for everything.' _

In the end, he didn't need to, for Miharu already seemed to know what Yoite was meaning to say without him actually saying it and reached over and placed his hand over Yoite's and whispered, "I'm glad. You're welcome."

And they slept that way, hand in hand.

End!

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Fic Notes:

Kids in Ireland do leave beer and carrots for Santa and Rudolph (though in more recent years, milk and cookies has been replacing this). Christmas Eve is also a day for visit one's deceased family members, bringing holly and ivy wreaths to place over people's graves. As for Christmas pudding, it's practically the staple food in Irish homes at Christmas, well, everything is what Wikipedia tells me anyways. I wanted to incorporate Irish traditions (since its something Thobari would totally do at Christmas) and I hope I didn't mess up to badly at it.

Review and comment please!


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